Three Eagles scored in double-digits as the American University men's basketball team defeated Army Wednesday night 65-62 in Bender Arena.

The win improves the Eagles to 13-6 overall and 3-1 in the Patriot League, one game behind Bucknell which sits at 4-0 in the conference. American is a perfect 12-0 against Army (10-9, 2-2) in Bender Arena and 20-3 all-time.

"I told the guys, it wasn't pretty but we'll take it and be excited," Head Coach Jeff Jones stated. "It's really hard to win in conference play and that was the case tonight. Army has had some success on the road and they create some difficult matchups. Its nice to be able to make enough plays to win."

Vlad Moldoveanu led American with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. Stephen Lumpkins added 16 points and nine boards while Nick Hendra tallied 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Eagles combined to shoot 47.8 percent for the game while holding Army to 36.5 percent, and held a 37-27 advantage on the glass. Ella Ellis scored 21 for the Black Knights with Jeremy Hence and Julian Simmons chipping in 18 points and 10 points, respectively.

American opened the game quickly, scoring on its first two possessions. Moldoveanu made an 18-foot jumper for the Eagles' first bucket of the night and Hendra drained a three following a Troy Brewer steal. Steve Luptak made a three of his own moments later, putting American on top 8-2.

Army quickly rebounded and took a 16-13 lead on Chris Welker's three-pointer. The Black Knights went on top by as many as seven before Lumpkins scored four straight to begin a 10-0 American run to close out the half. Luptak contributed a tough basket in the paint to even the score at 29 and Hendra capped it off with a one-handed slam to give the Eagles a 32-29 margin at the break.

Hendra led all scorers with 10 first-half points as the Eagles combined to shoot 45.8 percent from the field. Lumpkins added eight points to the Eagles' efforts while Moldoveanu pulled down seven boards. Army, meanwhile, shot just 37.0 percent and trailed American 19-14 on the glass.

Wayne Simon made his Bender Arena debut early in the second half and made an immediate impact, dishing out three assists in four minutes to keep American in front as the teams traded buckets. American was able to open a seven-point lead following a Luptak layup but Ellis brought Army back to within three, 53-50.

Hence tied the game at 56 and then put the Black Knights back out in front 58-56 with a baseline drive. Brewer answered for the Eagles with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession and a Moldoveanu up-and-under made it a 61-58 game in favor of American with less than one minute to play. Moldoveanu and Luptak combined to hit 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch, sealing the 65-62 victory.

American will play its next two games on the road at Holy Cross and Navy. The Eagles and Crusaders will square off Saturday, January 22 at 2:00 p.m. in Worcester, Mass. before taking on the Midshipmen Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. American will then return to Bender Arena for a 4:00 p.m. showdown versus Lafayette on Saturday, January 29 in the team's annual 'Phil Bender' event.

Fans unable to travel to Holy Cross and Navy can catch all of the action live online via a subscription to Patriot League All*Access. For more information, click here.

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